Message from Board Chair Steve Mandel '78

March 23, 2012

To the Dartmouth community,

Many of you will know by now that President Barack Obama has nominated Jim Yong Kim to serve as president of the World Bank. Today's announcement is not only a tremendous honor for Jim personally, it is also a source of great pride for Dartmouth. The World Bank is one of the most powerful tools the international community has to raise standards of living in some of the poorest countries on our planet, and I cannot think of a more fitting nominee to lead it.

Watching today's White House announcement, I was especially struck by the image of Jim and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner '83 standing on either side of President Obama. Their presence was a testament to the deep commitment to public service that has inspired generations of our students and College leaders to go out into the world and make its troubles their own. John Sloan Dickey, Ernest Martin Hopkins, and John Kemeny are among Jim's predecessors as President who served their nation with distinction. Now, if elected by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors next month, it will be Jim's turn to answer the call.

This afternoon, I spoke with my fellow Trustees about the steps that the Board will take to ensure continuity of leadership and determine the timing of a presidential search in the event of Jim's election. Thanks to the hard work of a great many people and to the robust strategic planning process that is in place, Dartmouth looks to the future from a position of dynamism and strength.

For now, Jim continues to serve as President of Dartmouth. I will provide you with more information as this process unfolds.